Rebirth

Today is Good Friday. And while I no longer commemorate the holiday in the traditional manner, it’s still a day that holds some resonance in my life. For me it speaks of the deeper truth that there are times in our life that we experience devastation, a time when all hope seems lost. I am very fortunate to have spent precious little time in the ‘valley of the shadow of death’, but I’ve been there. At least enough to recognize how charmed my life really is.

But the thing about Good Friday is that it is not the end. Death is the pinnacle, but the end is new birth. As in many other religious traditions, destruction presages redemption in the Christian story. It is followed, always, by Easter. When life begins again, in a completely new and better way.

At this time of year, when new life is all around me, it’s not hard to believe in rebirth and redemption. It’s not hard to imagine that an end is just a new beginning in disguise. As I watch flowers move from bud to glorious blooms I remember that there is much more to life than first meets the eye. If we are patient and faithful good things will come.

This is why spring is my favourite season. I am really an optimist at heart. I have a strong need to find the good in a story, to put a positive spin on things. I might plan for the worst sometimes, but I still hope for the best. Spring is a season tailor-made for optimism.

Spring is also tailor-made for children. The longer days mean evenings spent on the playground, or digging in the garden. There are flowers to smell, there’s new grass for a baby to feel for the first time, and there are countless creepy-crawly creatures to discover. Watching my little ones revel in new life, I feel hopeful.

It makes me think of these words:

Take courage, friends.
The way is often hard, the path is never clear and the stakes are very high.
Take courage.
For deep down there is another truth:
You are not alone.

~ Wayne B. Arnason

This is what brings me hope. Knowing that the bleakest winter is followed by spring as Good Friday is followed by Easter. Knowing that in my darkest hours I am not alone. (In fact, even if I seek solitude my kids pretty much prevent it, I am lousy with company around here.) And so I feel hopeful just looking out my window these days. What in your life brings you hope? What is your favourite part of spring?